NATIONAL ASSESSMENT

GENERAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATE (GEC)

2022 GRADE 9 PILOT STUDY

Subject: English Home Language

Marks: 70

Duration: 120 Minutes

The test consists of 26 pages, excluding the cover page.

Grade 9 English HL 1
Instructions to the learner
1. Read all the instructions and questions carefully.
2. Answer all questions.
3. Use the provided answer booklet to write all your answers.

The test starts on the next page.

Do not turn the page until you are told to do so.

Grade 9 English HL 2
SECTION A

Question 1: Newspaper Article

Read the text below and answer the questions set.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

1 The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is the immensely interesting and inspiring
true account of an ordinary African teenager who constructed a windmill
from scraps to create electricity for his entire community.

2 William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and
science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger, a
place where hope and opportunity were hard to find. But William had read
about windmills in a book called Using Energy, and he dreamed of building
one that would bring electricity and water to his village and change his life
and the lives of those around him. His sceptical neighbours may have
mocked him and called him ‘misala’ (crazy) but William was determined to
show them what a little grit and determination could do.

3 Enchanted by the workings of electricity as a boy, William wanted to study

science at Malawi's top boarding schools. But year after year, his country was
stricken by drought that left his family's farm devastated and his parents
desperate. Unable to pay the eighty dollar-a-year tuition for his education,
William was forced to drop out and help his family forage for food as
thousands across the country starved to death.

4 With his head in the clouds, William refused to let go of his dreams. With
nothing more than a fistful of cornmeal in his stomach, a small pile of once-
forgotten science textbooks, and loads of curiosity and determination, he
embarked on a daring plan to bring his family a set of luxuries. Luxuries of
electricity and running water are considered a necessity by the more
fortunate West, however, it is something that only two percent of Malawians
can afford. Using scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves, William
created a simple yet functioning windmill. It was an unlikely invention and a
small miracle that eventually powered four lights, complete with homemade

Grade 9 English HL 3
 switches and a circuit breaker made from nails and wire. A second machine
turned a water pump that could battle the drought and famine.

5 Soon, news of William's ‘magetsi a mphepo’ (his ‘electric wind’) spread

beyond the borders of his home, and the boy who was once called crazy
became an inspiration to people around the world.

6 This is a remarkable story about human inventiveness and its power to

overcome devastating difficulty. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind will
inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual's ability to change his
community and better the lives of those around him.

Adapted from: https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/2351/the-boy-

who-harnessed-the-wind

1.1 How did William acquire the knowledge to build a windmill?

A He learnt about it at school.

B He researched it on the internet.
C He read about it in a book.
D He dreamed about it one night. (1)

Grade 9 English HL 4
 1.2 Which of the following items did William not use to make the windmill?

A scrap metal
B tractor parts
C four lights
D bicycle halves (1)

William was forced to forage for food for his family. (Paragraph 3)
1.3 To forage is to …

A buy
B steal
C search
D make (1)

1.4 How often does Malawi experience droughts?

A annually
B sometimes
C seldom
D never (1)

1.5 What evidence is there that William was determined?

A He dropped out of school.

B He refused to let go of his dreams.
C He wanted to study science.
D He lived on a farm. (1)

Grade 9 English HL 5
 1.6 Why did William build a windmill?

A He wanted to make his family proud of him.

B He wanted to improve the lives of his community.
C He wanted to prove his neighbours wrong.
D He wanted to make money for school. (1)

Refer to ‘sceptical neighbours’. (Paragraph 2)

1.7 What did the neighbours think of William’s plans to build a windmill?

A They were impressed.

B They were doubtful.
C They were excited.
D They were concerned. (1)

1.8 How do you think William felt about having to leave school?

A optimistic
B hopeful
C fearful
D disappointed (1)

1.9 What figure of speech is used in ‘With his head in the clouds’? (Paragraph 4)

A alliteration
B metaphor
C simile
D onomatopoeia (1)

Grade 9 English HL 6
 ‘where magic ruled and science was mystery’ (Paragraph 2)
1.10 What impression does the above phrase create about the people of Malawi?

A They are modern.

B They are superstitious.
C They are crazy.
D They are mysterious. (1)

1.11 What does ‘a small miracle’ imply about the windmill? (Paragraph 4)

A It was unbelievable.
B It was a simple design.
C It was not made to last.
D It was not very big. (1)

1.12 Choose the sentence that is true according to the text.

A Everyone knows that William’s dreams are unrealistic.

B All Malawians enjoy the luxuries of electricity and running water.
C William bought metal and tractor parts to create windmills.
D People’s opinions of William changed after his invention. (1)

1.13 How is William different from other teenagers in Africa?

A He is sceptical and mocking.

B He is determined and desperate.
C He is crazy and self-centred.
D He is creative and self-motivated. (1)

Grade 9 English HL 7
 1.14 What does ‘With his head in the clouds’, imply about William? (Paragraph 4)

A He was very tall.

B He was in an aeroplane.
C He was a dreamer.
D He was far away. (1)

1.15 Which of the following combination of words effectively conveys the impact of
the drought?

A stricken, devastated, withered

B devastated, inspiring, remarkable
C determined, difficult, stricken
D unlikely, withered, desperate (1)

1.16 Which sentence best summarises the message of the passage?

A William created a windmill to help his family enjoy the luxury of

electricity.
B William’s dream to improve the life of his family helped his entire
community.
C William had to find a way to become famous after leaving school.
D William decided to prove people wrong when they called him crazy. (1)

1.17 ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ is written in italics to indicate …
(Paragraph 1)

A the title of a book.

B a direct quotation.
C an important sentence.
D a description of William. (1)

Grade 9 English HL 8
 1.18 What does ‘grit and determination’ suggest about William? (Paragraph 2)

A He was always dirty and grubby.

B He was working on a farm.
C He was hardworking and persistent.
D He was lazy and irresponsible. (1)

1.19 How does the writer influence the reader’s opinion of William?
He describes William as …

A sceptical.
B inspiring.
C desperate.
D ordinary. (1)

1.20 For which audience is the book ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ intended?

A readers who enjoy stories about farms

B readers who like reading about crazy people
C readers who dream about droughts
D readers who like inspirational stories (1)

1.21 How does ‘hope and opportunity were hard to find’ manipulate the readers’
feelings? (Paragraph 2)

A Readers feel pity for Malawians.

B Readers feel anger towards Malawians.
C Readers feel inspired by Malawians.
D Readers feel hopeful for Malawians. (1)

Grade 9 English HL 9
 1.22 Which of the following phrases conveys a tone of sympathy?

A ‘once-forgotten science textbooks’

B ‘the power to overcome hardships’
C ‘luxuries of electricity and running water’
D ‘left his family’s farm devastated’ (1)

1.23 In what way would William’s invention make Malawi a better place in the future?

A There would be fewer droughts.

B There would be water in times of drought.
C People would no longer believe in magic.
D People would believe in William’s dreams. (1)

1.24 What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?

A to create interest in windmills

B to create electricity for his community
C to create a windmill from scraps
D to create interest in the passage (1)

1.25 What conclusion can be drawn from the text?

A Leaving school can help you to be creative.

B Determination and hard work can change lives.
C Recycling can improve the environment.
D Proving people wrong is very important. (1)

[25]

Grade 9 English HL 10
Question 2: Language Structures and Conventions
Read the text below and answer the questions set.

Greta Thunberg says, “Our House is on Fire”

1 1 Greta Thunberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2003. Greta was an

introverted girl who did not say much at school, and this shyness led to her
being bullied by some of the other kids. It became so bad that Greta became
very depressed and even stopped eating. She lost a great deal of weight and
could have died if her parents had not found specialist doctors with a
treatment plan that worked. Her mum and dad found her a new school, and
making new friends helped her to recover and become interested in the wider
world again.

2 Greta first learned about climate change when she was 8 years old. She
learned that carbon dioxide (CO2) was one of the greenhouse gases causing
global warming. The more she learned, the more worried she became.

3 Everyone was saying the right things, but nobody was doing the right things.
Even at a young age, the harmful effects of global warming concerned her
and she decided to do something about it.

4 She had heard about workers going on strike to demand better pay, and
imagined students going on strike to demand more action against climate
change. She told her friends about her idea, but none of them seemed
interested in joining her. Instead of giving up, Greta made a big sign and
painted the words "School Strike for the Climate" in Swedish. She also
printed flyers full of facts about the climate crisis. On August 20, 2018, she
rode her bicycle to the Swedish parliament where the government met. Greta
found a good spot to set up her sign and sat down on her cushion with her
flyers by her side.

Grade 9 English HL 11
 5 She asked a passer-by to take a photo of her and posted it on her Twitter
account. Even though she only had around twenty followers, it was retweeted
dozens of times. Within a few days she was being interviewed by reporters,
other kids had joined her, and she was being supported by Greenpeace
activists and others. Greta's life would never be the same again.

6 In December 2018, just a few months after starting her strike, Greta was invited
to speak at the United Nations COP24 Climate Change Conference in Poland.
Her heart was beating faster as she nervously waited to be asked to speak.

7 Since that speech Greta has become the world's most famous climate
change activist. She became the Person of the Year for Time magazine in
2019. Her actions have inspired other young people across the world to
become climate change activists.

Adapted from www.natgeokids.com

Glossary:
Twitter: social media platform

Grade 9 English HL 12
 2.1 What type of noun is the word ‘shyness’? (Paragraph 1)

A common
B concrete
C abstract
D proper (1)

‘Her mum and dad found her a new school, and making new friends helped her
to recover and become interested in the wider world again.’ (Paragraph 1)
2.2 Identify the type of sentence used in the above lines.

A compound
B instruction
C complex
D simple (1)

2.3 What is a synonym for ‘global’? (Paragraph 2)

A planetary
B extensive
C circular
D partial

2.4 Which word in the first paragraph is an antonym for the word optimistic?

A ‘interested’
B ‘introverted’
C ‘bullied’
D ‘depressed’ (1)

Grade 9 English HL 13
 2.5 ‘Even at that young age’ is … (Paragraph 3)

A an adjectival phrase.
B an adverbial phrase.
C a noun phrase.
D a verb phrase. (1)

The wise try to protect the environment … the fools think there is no
environmental crisis.
2.6 Fill in the blank space in the given sentence with the appropriate conjunction.

A therefore
B whereas
C whether
D unless (1)

‘She rode her bicycle to the Swedish parliament where the government met.’
(Paragraph 4)
2.7 What part of speech is the word ‘Swedish’ as used in the sentence?

A preposition
B adjective
C adverb
D verb (1)

Grade 9 English HL 14
 … climate change activists held … protest outside the United Nations offices.
2.8 Choose the correct combination of words to fill in the spaces in the above
sentence.

A A/a
B An/a
C The/a
D A/the (1)

We waste much time talking about climate change.

2.9 Choose the correct version of the above sentence written in the passive voice.

A Much time will be wasted by them talking about climate change.

B Much time has been wasted talking about climate change.
C Much time is wasted by us talking about climate change.
D Much time was wasted talking about climate change. (1)

‘She imagined students going on strike to demand more action against climate
change.’ (Paragraph 4)
2.10 What is the meaning of the word ‘strike’ as used in the given sentence?

A what lightning does in a thunderstorm

B to hit someone with the hand
C refusing to go to school
D a sudden attack in a war (1)

Grade 9 English HL 15
 Climate change activists want to make a differ...
2.11 Choose the correct suffix to complete the underlined word.

A ance
B ence
C ing
D ent (1)

Greta … a source of inspiration for young people since she was 8 years old.
2.12 What is the correct form of the verb that will fit into the above sentence?

A was being
B has been
C is being
D will be (1)

‘She made a big sign and painted the words "School Strike for the Climate" in
Swedish’ (Paragraph 4)
2.13 Why are the words “School Strike for the Climate” written in inverted commas?

A to indicate direct speech

B to indicate a point
C to indicate a quote
D to indicate a title (1)

Grade 9 English HL 16
 Greta was bullied at school, which caused her to have an eating disorder.
2.14 What type of pronoun is the underlined word?

A demonstrative
B interrogative
C indefinite
D personal (1)

Becoming the Time magazine Person of the Year was an amazing … for Greta.
2.15 Choose the correctly spelt word to complete the above sentence.

A achievement
B acheivement
C achievment
D acheivment (1)

2.16 Choose the correct sentence written in the present tense.

A Greta, together with her father, will be going to the Climate Change
meeting tonight.
B Greta, together with her father, is going to the Climate Change
meeting tonight.
C Greta, together with her father, were going to the Climate Change
meeting tonight.
D Greta, together with her father, was going to the Climate Change (1)
meeting tonight.

Grade 9 English HL 17
 She asked, “Greta, why are you sounding so depressed today?”
2.17 Choose the correct sentence written in indirect speech.

A She asked Greta why is she sounding so depressed today.

B She asked Greta why she sounded so depressed this day.
C She asked Greta why did she sound so depressed yesterday.
D She asked Greta why she sounded so depressed that day. (1)

2.18 Which stereotype about teenagers does Greta challenge?

A Teenagers are unconcerned about world affairs.

B Teenagers are using social media to inspire.
C Teenagers are arrogant and responsible.
D Teenagers are victims of bullying. (1)

Greta shared her knowledge … fellow activists on Twitter.

2.19 Choose the correct preposition to complete the sentence.

A across
B among
C within
D with (1)

Grade 9 English HL 18
 2.20 What is the figurative meaning of the title of this text, “Our House is on Fire”?

A The forests of the earth are burning.

B Planet earth is in danger of overheating.
C Government buildings are on fire.
D Greta’s house is burning. (1)
[20]

Grade 9 English HL 19
Question 3: Visual Literacy
3.1: Advertisement
Read the text below and answer the questions set.

Grade 9 English HL 20
 3.1.1 What is the message of this text?

A Stop bullying.
B Show kindness.
C Support mental health.
D Promote school safety. (1)

3.1.2 Who is the target market of the infographic?

A nurses
B teachers
C workers
D learners (1)

3.1.3 Why has a picture been placed in the title?

A to fill up space in the title

B to strengthen the message of the title
C to show the advertiser’s slogan
D to advertise the school activities (1)

3.1.4 Which figure of speech is used in the headline ‘Kindness Works’?

A personification
B hyperbole
C metaphor
D irony (1)

Grade 9 English HL 21
 3.1.5 The picture at the bottom of the text reflects how kindness effectively improves …

A conflict.
B amusement.
C collaboration.
D aggression. (1)

[5]

Grade 9 English HL 22
SECTION B

3.2: Cartoon
Read the text below and answer the questions set.

Source: Mail & Guardian

3.2.1 Where is this cartoon set? (1)

3.2.2 Who is the character speaking in Frame 1? (1)

“Should you be doing that?” (Frame 1)

3.2.3 What does the word “that” refer to? (1)

3.2.4 What is ironic about the driver’s actions? (1)

3.2.5 Explain what has happened in Frame 4? (1)

3.2.6 How is the passenger feeling in Frame 3? (2)

Provide a visual clue to support your answer.

Grade 9 English HL 23
 3.2.7 What is the message of the cartoon? (1)

3.2.8 Do you think that the driver should have listened to his passenger? (2)
Give a reason for your answer.
[10]

Grade 9 English HL 24
Question 4: Summary

Read the passage and summarise how to choose the right subjects for grade 10-12
according to the following instructions.

1. List SEVEN points in full sentences.

2. Number your sentences from 1 to 7.
3. Write only ONE point per sentence.
4. Use your OWN words as far as possible.
5. Your summary should be 70-80 words in length.
6. Indicate the total number of words you have used in brackets at the end
of your summary.
7. You do not require a title for your summary.

SUBJECT CHOICE IN GRADE 9

Over the next few months, grade 9 learners will have to choose subjects they
will want to pursue from grade 10 to their final matric examinations. This can be
an easy exercise for some, but for those who are not sure what they want to
study after completing matric, having to commit to certain subjects can be
daunting. Although their tertiary education is years away, thinking about the right
subjects to choose now, can steer their future and can, to a large extent
determine their careers. Claudia Swartberg, CEO of Top Dog, shares the
guidelines to help with the subject choice in grade 9.

Learners should consult an educational psychologist who can explain what the
world of work expects, and how to make informed decisions based on what will
be expected of them one day. Speaking to a tertiary adviser or researching
university or college websites can be very helpful. In this way one can get a
sense of available courses and requirements.

While choosing the subjects based on a future career is important, so too is

studying what makes learners happy, which can ultimately lead to a career that
is sustainable and brings joy. Learners should not choose subjects based on

Grade 9 English HL 25
 who is teaching them as teachers come and go and the same teacher might not
be teaching them in grade 11 or 12.

Since learners’ interests may change over time, it is important to ensure their
choices do not limit their options in the future. Mathematics specifically is a
requirement for many popular courses, such as Commerce, Engineering and
Science degrees and would be a good choice to ensure they have these
opportunities available to them in the future.

Learners should stay calm and approach decision-making as calmly as possible.

It is advisable for learners to start considering their choices from the beginning of
Grade 9 and even better, from grade 8 too.

Adapted from: https://www.IOL.co.za/education

[10]

End of test

Grade 9 English HL 26
Grade 9 English HL 27